A Lesson in Legacy

Announcer: The next event on the track is the Daniel Bacchus 4×400!

Daniel Bacchus: What?

Announcer: Once again, the next and final event of the day is the Daniel Bacchus 4×400 Meter Relay!!!

Upon realizing that the 4×400 meter relay was named after him, my father couldn’t contain his excitement and smiled from ear to ear at the Chester County Middle School Championships in West Chester, PA.  Daniel Bacchus had traveled from VA to witness the team I coached compete, and while he anticipated the possibility of seeing us win a championship, he never expected the final event to bear his name.

The hosting school offered individuals and businesses the opportunity to sponsor various events for a fee. After consulting with my sister and brother, we decided to sponsor the event that my father used to run.  The 4×400 meter relay has always served as the closing event of track meets, and my father’s joy only grew as my team emerged with both the boys and girls team titles after the event.

We posed for pictures, enjoyed a celebratory dinner, and I overheard him in the guest room calling family and friends to share about the incredible day. It was truly a blessing to create such a memorable experience with my father, and as I reflected on the day, I couldn’t help but express my gratitude to Lynn Bacchus.

My mom passed away five years ago, July 3, 2018, and the seeds she sowed during her lifetime are continuing to bear fruit today. My mother always wanted my brother, sister and I to have a strong relationship with our father. She went to great lengths and made sacrifices to ensure that he remained a part of our lives despite his battle with drug addiction and the ending of their marriage.  

Lynn Bacchus could have easily severed ties, limited our interactions, or spoken ill of him. However, she chose a different path. She sacrificed her own peace with the hope that her children would find peace with their father. Unfortunately, she will never witness the moments that her sacrifices created. My mother cannot be present to witness my father and me at the Chester County Middle School Championship, nor can she watch my sister’s kids play with their “POP” in Hampton, Virginia. But I believe she is resting in peace, knowing that she created the environment for these beautiful moments to occur.

Five years later, my mother’s legacy continues to impact me in new ways. As I celebrate her life, I am reminded that we may never see the seeds we plant fully flourish. However, that should not discourage us from doing the necessary work to sow those seeds. The labor may not always seem worthwhile, but future generations may reap the fruits of our efforts and be grateful for our legacy.